Archives: May 2011

Just in case you haven't had enough contests and giveaways, we bring you our Polyvore contest. All you have to do is create a set using items from our Unending Love lookbook and you could win a $75 gift card. Don't hold back. Get creative! Browse our lookbook to get inspired. You have until Friday, May 20th, 11:59am PST to enter. We'll pick the most creative and inspiring set as the winner.

Because we know how much you all love our lookbooks and because a picture's worth a thousand words, we've decided to introduce a new weekly topic on this blog. Every Monday we'll be dishing on our favorite photography tips and tricks, giving you the inside scoop on making your photos look like the pro's.

First we'll start with some basics.

Best editing software to buy:Lightroom - Easy to use and helps keep your photos organized. Although it's meant as a companion to Photoshop, Lightroom is more than enough on it's own.Photoshop CS5 - The newest version of Photoshop is our favorite but any will do. Photoshop is ideal for those of you looking to do a little more than basic touch ups and color enhancements.

Our team packed our bags and headed out to South Carolina to shoot the breathtaking photos you saw in our previous lookbook. We stayed at a historical home in McClellanville, right by a lake. The view was spectacular!

This was taken in Cypress Gardens, the same location where they shot the lake scene in "The Notebook"! It was even more breathtaking in real life.

Meet Tieka, the charming gal behind Selective Potential! ♥ After she graduated, she found her dream job as a graphic designer and created her blog to showcase her style and life adventures.

It feels like only a little while ago I was wishing I’d be a graphic designer someday, be comfortable with my body image and have a style I was proud of. After working so hard to graduate, land a career, build my fashion blog and lose 35 pounds, I mean… how can I not be proud? It was all hard work, but gosh, it was so worth it. Every second! -Tieka

Tieka is an inspiration, and we admire her genuine heart and sense of style. We hope you love her responses just as much as we do! ♥

Your name is unique and beautiful! How did your parents think of it?

It’s so funny when people ask, but I don’t have a unique story behind my name! Just something my crazy mom thought up when I was born. It feels like it was meant to be though, you know? I can’t imagine not having a unique name and not being a ‘tieka’. Strange feeling!

What do you love about Michigan? Would you ever live anywhere else?

I love so much about Michigan – most importantly the great lakes and our beaches, but I love the lighthouses, the unique tourist spots, the small town, Midwestern feel, the art, the food, the scenery. I mean, it’s so beautiful here and most people don’t even realize! I always thought I’d love to live somewhere else someday – especially San Francisco or Chicago – but I’m so content with traveling all over and staying put here!

Tell us about Brett. ♥

Aw, swoon! Brett is my amazing husband – of almost 4 years! We met when he was a drummer in a punk band and I used to stalk their every show. We became such great friends and when we finally started dating, we were engaged 6 months later and married 6 months after that. Whirlwind romance! We have so much fun together, we’re best friends, I can’t imagine life without him! Plus… he’s a great photographer! ;)

What’s your daily weekday like?

My daily weekday is very busy. I work full-time as a graphic designer for a communications company, so that’s the majority of my day. So by the time I get out, I have to rush to grab dinner with Brett, grab outfit shots, upload, post, blog, catch up on emails and try to squeeze in time to read some of my personal favorite blogs. It’s definitely busy, but I mean, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m having so much fun that I don’t consider any of it work. I do have to remind myself daily to breathe though. :)

What are your wardrobe necessities?

My wardrobe wouldn’t be complete with a couple… well maybe more than a couple… floral dresses! I also live off chunky belts, wood platforms and cardigans to pull a lot of my looks together. I’m really inspired by personal style bloggers that are a lot like I am. They are a huge inspiration for why I’ll purchase something, or try something new. I have a magnetic board full of tons of print outs from bloggers – I think that’s why I love blogging so much too. It gives real girls inspiration to step outside the box.

Oh gosh, I have too many awful embarrassing moments that make me cringe, so let’s instead go with a guilty pleasure. Buttery (like really buttery) movie theater popcorn. Ugh, I crave it constantly and if I go a week without it, it’s like my body shuts down. Hahaha! We are constantly at the movies and we are not proud to admit that one of the biggest reasons is because we have the buttery popcorn! It’s something I never ever count calories for ;)

Create their love story (please try to limit your post to 75 words or less) for a chance to win a $75 Ruche gift card. ♥ Comment on this blog post. Contest ends Monday, May 16th* at 12pm PST. We will pick our favorite. =) Please check back to see if you've won!

xo,Ruche

*Contest has been extended until Monday, May 16th due to Blogger maintenance.

While browsing Atlantic-Pacific today (a blogger with amazing fashion sense, go look!), we stumbled across an amazingly talented artist named Inslee. Make sure you check out her shop for pretty prints, postcards, and calendars. Here are some lovelies for you:

We wouldn't mind decorating our office with some of these modern vintage looks. ♥